Currently, benefit claimants on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) are being transferred over to Universal Credit. According to law the vast majority of disabled ESA claimants keep their ‘not fit for work status’ while being transferred over, and continue to receive disability-related payments.
High Riggs Jobcentre in Edinburgh was illegally forcing transferred disabled claimants to obtain a fit note from their GP and go through unnecessary ‘work capability assessments’. A local anti-poverty group found out about this, through voluntarily accompanying benefit claimants to their appointments, and providing moral support.
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty is a community group which helps local people access benefits, register complaints, and voice their concerns over government response to the cost of living crisis.
ECAP held a demonstration outside High Riggs jobcentre on 30th September.
Four local claimants went in, delivering a letter for and requesting a meeting with the local manager. Jobcentre staff told ECAP that they were “unavailable”, and refused to give any contact details.
Local benefit claimants were told that staff would pass on the letter, and that the manager would contact ECAP the next day.
However despite this promise ECAP received no further contact contact from High Riggs Jobcentre, or the DWP.
A second protest was organised to occur at High Riggs jobcentre at 3PM on 30 October, a day before Halloween.
Members of the local community held placards proclaiming “Cutting Disability Benefits Kills”, and a protestor dressed as the “DWP Grim Reaper” brandished their scythe menacingly. Meanwhile an ECAP delegation swerved past security guards into the Jobcentre where they met the manager of High Riggs Jobcentre.
The manager admitted that the jobcentre had been wrongly telling migrating ESA claimants they needed to get a Fit Note. They told us that all High Riggs work coaches had now received instructions that ESA claimants migrating to Universal Credit kept their existing “not fit for work” status and did not need to go through another Work Capability Assessment.
The Manager assured ECAP that if there were any future problems a meeting could be arranged to sort matters.
If you are in this position and have problems contact ecapmail@gmail.com.
An ECAP spokesperson said: “This victory was only achieved by numbers of people mobilising and taking action”.
More information available at edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk
and in particular at https://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?p=3463
Contact ecapmail@gmail.com
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